Rndballref
20 Years Experience
Chicago, IL
Male, 60
For twenty years I officiated high school, AAU and park district basketball games, retiring recently. For a few officiating is the focus of their occupation, while for most working as an umpire or basketball referee is an avocation. I started ref'ing to earn beer money during college, but it became a great way to stay connected to the best sports game in the universe. As a spinoff, I wrote a sports-thriller novel loosely based on my referee experiences titled, Advantage Disadvantage
Completely unacceptable. If I was the coach I would lodge my complaint with the referees as soon as it started getting rough. If they continued to fail to enforce the legitimate rules of the game I would be compelled to act. I believe that a coach’s first responsibility is the safety of the players, and if I felt that the team’s safety was at risk I would pull my players off the floor and forfeit the match. Then I would write a commentary along with game tape and get the referees bounced (and decertified) for 1) not enforcing the rules of the game and 2) allowing the environment to threaten the safety of the players. It is hard to believe that state certified officials would let this happen - it is also strange to hear about 3 man crews working middle school games. In the conferences I worked, only high school varsity games used 3 ref’s.
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In NFHS there are players fouled in the act of shooting, common fouls, player control fouls, team control fouls and technical fouls. A player attempting to tip the basketball into the hoop is fouled in the act of shooting and will get 2 free throws, unless the ball went in - the bucket counts plus 1 free throw.
It has to be this way because if it was considered a common foul (and assume the team is in the bonus) and the ball went in, then you would have to count the basket and award a one and one - which would be crazy and severe.
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A player chest bumped my partner and nearly knocked him over. On the way down, he threw the player out.
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Yes it matters. On sideline throw-ins, the referee inbounding the ball should between the player and the opponent's basket, so the ref is behind the most likely foreward movement of the play.
In 2 man officiating the referees are to be opposite of each other and the throw in will occur to the inside of the ref.
In 3 man crew, I have worked with some officials who position themselves between the basket and the throw in player on the baseline, but I think this positioning should only be used when the throw in on the baseline is near the sideline.
These postions have developed out of the objective to put the ref in the best possible position to see the play. That is why referees are allowed to bounce the ball to the throw in player - you get to stand back and have a wider view.
These practices seem picky but doing them correctly is pre-requisite for advancing. The evaluators I have encountered expect spot on mechanics. Being out of position on a throw would lower your rating.
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No, I never officiated a game where there was any legal betting.There were anecdotal stories and rumors about betting on high school games, but I don't have first hand knowledge. Here is a story told to me which I have every reason to believe is true, and it also served as the inspiration for my novel's storyline: A ref was called the night before to fill in for a park district game in Chicago. He was going to be paid $100 to be the only official (high game fee should have raised a red flag). He showed up and there were a couple hundred people surrounding the outdoor court in a park. Two huge guys from opposing gangs met the ref at his car and explained that they were there to protect him ("no quips") no matter what his calls were. The pressure level was raised and the ref was worried. As he approached the court, he saw guys as old as 35 in the layup lines, in pro-style uniforms - this was no park district kids league, this was the gang banger's league. He called the coaches and captains together for a quick pre game conference (hoping to preempt problems). While holding the conference one of the "managers" answers his phone an accepts a bet for 10 biscuits. The ref asks him about the bet and learns that a biscuit is $1,000 . The manager brags that he has accepted a lot more than $10,000 on this game. By now the ref was sweating bullets. The ref took off running to the parking lot and jumped in his car while the 2 assigned gangbangers chased after him. He was able to escape.
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The rule is clear and everyone in the gym knows a foul is coming. It is a real dilemma. An intentional foul has a very severe penalty, but calling a common foul seems against the rule. This can only be fixed by a rule change - perhaps the fouled team gets a choice of free throws OR the ball. It is the coward's way out but I don't see a solution.
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The act of boxing out is properly executed when you occupy spaces on the floor by moving your feet and obtaining the verical rights to a space before your opponent can legally obtain that space. Proper technique might include "sizing up the opponent" behind you (that is with light contact feeling where and when the opponent might try to get around you), and moving your feet to "block" him out from moving closer to the basket, most typically on a rebound. When you block out, you do not have the right to stick your rear end out and dislodge a player behind you. Good refs will call a foul on the inside player for dislodging the player behind him, AND the same ref should call a foul on a player who pushes an opponent under the basket out of contention for a rebound. Good defense, like proper rebounding is played with your feet (just my opinion).
I worked a summer league several years ago and for the first half of a couple games the coach made the players on defense lock their arms behind their backs. They could not steal, swat or defend with their hands. So what con you do? MOVE YOUR FEET and try to legally deny offensive players spots on the floor. Only when a shot went up could the players use their hands. The players were certainly frustrated but it forced moving their feet.
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